transitions

Appointed: Mr Maimu Raka- Nou was sworn in as Papua New Guinea’s High Commissioner-designate to Fiji on June 16. He took up his post in Suva on June 26, replacing the late Mr Denis Kepore, who died from a heart attack in March this year. It is Mr Raka-Nou’s first foreign posting.

Awarded: Dame Mary Kekedo of Papua New Guinea has been awarded the highest possible Papal award that can be given to a woman. Pope John Paul II has awarded her the medal “Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice”, the award being presented to her by the Catholic Archbishop of Port Moresby, Sir Peter Kurongku. It is the first time this award has been given to someone in Papua New Guinea, and was presented to Dame Mary Kekedo for her long service to the Catholic

Church in the Kokoda area.

Elected: Bishop David Piso of Papua New Guinea has been elected director of the affairs for the churches of South-East Asia and South Pacific regions. He was elected at an international Lutheran conference, held at the beginning of June in Berlin, West Germany. He said on his return to Papua New Guinea that he thought it was a very good thing for Papua New Guinea to have one of its citizens serve on the Intematio nal Lutheran Committee, Ratu Panaia Vuiyasawa died in Nukualofa at the end of June, aged 43. He was a member of one of Fiji’s most distinguished families and was also distantly related to Tonga’s royal family. He had been Tonga manager for the BP Oil company in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, since February 1987.

Buaki Singeri died at the end of June after a long illness.

He was a former Morobe MP who served in the House of Assembly from 1972 to 1977.

Kiale Flangi died at the beginning of June, aged 57. He was a Mushu islander from East Sepik, who arrived in Rabaul in 1933. He developed a reputa tion for being able to solve problems and became well re spected as a recognised “liaison” man between the authorities and all sectors of the community. He helped about 100 cases a month, dealing with personal, family and tribal problems, and was working up to his death. He leaves a wife, children and several grandchil dren.

Bishop Raymond Caesar died on June 18 in Brisbane, having been flown there from Goroka after suffering a double

heart attack on May 24. Bom in the USA, he came to Papua New Guinea in 1963 to work in a seminary set up by the So ciety of the Divine Word. He was appointed Bishop of Goro ka in 1973, a position in which he served to his death. His work was noted by his efforts to involve the Catholics of Goroka in the work of the church.

Christina Fauran ,(Bovengton) died of cancer in Paris in April. She had pre viously worked for the South Pacific Commission on health assignments in several parts of the South Pacific, including the Cook Islands and the Loyalty Islands. From 1982 to 1983 she was Medical technologist and Field Officer for the ADAB funded SPC Infectious Diseases Project based in Mele village and Port Vila, Vanuatu

Dick Ukeiwe was unanimously re-elected president of New Caledonia’s Territorial Congress in early July. Pro-independ ence members of the congress boycotted the elections.

Buaki Singeri

Patrick (Paddy) D. MacDonald, Colonial Secretary of Fiji from 1957 to 1966 is reported to have died in England from a heart attack. See September PIM for more details